Remember the days of class plays? The students/rabbits in Ms. Sparks’ class are going to be performing the play “Cinder Rabbit.” The characters in the play are the same characters in real life. For example, Winifred, the class bully, plays the part of the evil stepmother, and Frida, the helpful/positive attitude student, plays the fairy god rabbit. One of the funniest parts is that Charlie, the charming student in class, really liked trucks and wanted to be a truck driver in the play. The teacher had to keep telling him there wasn’t a truck driver in the play. The prince was not happy.

Zoe, the main character, has a major problem. Wicked Winifred had told Zoe at some point that she couldn’t hop, and if she tried she would just make a fool of herself. Zoe believed what Winifred told her. When Ms. Sparks told Zoe that she had to lead the class in the Bunny Hop, she was worried about being not being able to hop. Fortunately, Frida convinced Zoe that she didn’t need to listen to what Winifred said, she needed to have confidence in herself.

Laura was pulled into the story as if the characters had cast a spell on her. The story was funny because of the characters’ personalities and how the author exaggerated them.

This is a great beginning chapter book. It has some dialogue, but it is easy enough for young students to follow. The vocabulary is just right for first and second graders – not too hard, not too easy.